Ask the experts: Curry paste

Q: "When standing in the supermarket looking at the herbs and spices, I note there are 'red' and 'green' curry pastes. What's the difference? Is it the heat of the spices? I've asked around but no-one can tell me."

Mariette

A: We asked nutritionist Tish Chalmers to investigate:

"Red and green curries originate from South-east Asia and are mainly found in Thai cuisine. The difference between the two is actually very simple; green curry is made with green chillies and red curry with red chillies. Originally red curry was the hotter of the two, although green curry now has this reputation in Thai restaurants. The actual heat and flavour of the curry will differ between products and recipes depending on the amount of chilli and other ingredients in the paste or mix. My suggestion would be to try both curry mixes to decide which flavour you like best. The heat can then be adjusted by altering how much of the mix or paste you use. Happy cooking."